Fred Lee Glimp Jr. ’50, Ph.D. ’64, whose nearly 50 years of service
to Harvard left an indelible mark on generations of students,
alumni, and the University itself, passed away in June at the age
of 91. At a retirement celebration in 1996 honoring his decades of
service to Harvard, buttons were distributed that read: “Be Like
Fred.” It was a fitting sentiment for a man who was widely
recognized for his kindness, generosity, and commitment to getting
the best out of everyone around him. Born and raised in Boise,
Idaho, Glimp joined the U.S. Army Air Corps after high school to
fight in World War II. Upon completing his service he sent what he
considered to be a long-shot application to Harvard College. His
knowledge of Harvard at the time was based mainly on a copy of
“Yankee From Olympus” his mother had sent him when he was overseas,
which painted scenes...